TOI PP TOI ES Points O-Zone Start
Ballard 13:77 0:13 9 46.5%
Zidlicky 15:90 3:19 7 52.6%

Zidlicky only has more points because he gets a lot of power play time and gets to start most of his shifts in the offensive zone. In the seasons where Ballard has gotten top power play mins he has scored 20-40 points. The real issue for Vancouver is that they don’t have enough right side D. According to advanced stats Ballard is a better player than Zidlicky but he’s a bad fit in Vancouver and has a longer contract.

Most glaringly you’re confusing Mason Raymond (a top 6 forward with a career 0.498 ppg) with Rick Rypien (a fourth line grinder with 0.134 ppg who passed away this summer). Clutterbuck’s ppg is 0.317, so Raymond would be a sizable upgrade.

Swapping Zidlicky for Ballard won’t really effect a play for Parise, since Zidlicky will still have a year left on his contract when Parise is a UFA. It’s only an additional 200K.

You’re also assuming the Wild would turn down scoring help now at an additional 800K, for the opportunity to offer Parise a little more money next year. 1/2 the NHL is going to make a run at him, and historically the Wild have had trouble getting high profile UFAs. Parise will get probably 10 offers for long term front end loaded contracts with a cap hit of about $6.5 million. I wouldn’t plan for the future on a 1/10 chance.

Raymond can be resigned for about $3 million and put up 45-60 points a season, that would have put him in the top 3 forwards on the Wild last season and this season.

If I’m the Wild I ask Vancouver to thrown in a 2nd rounder, a depth D or a bottom 6 grinder and make the deal.

That might be the dumbest trade proposal ever. Why would Minnesota take that trade?

What would the Wild gain on defense? Trade Zidlicky who has 1 more year left after this year for Ballard who has 3 more after this year? Ballard has put up less points on a higher scoring team than Zidlicky has. The Wild are not trying to take on salary long term, as they are gonna make a run at Parise over the summer.

Also, why would the Wild want to take on Raymond who is a RFA after the season, probably wanting to get a nice pay raise as well. As mentioned, the Wild would not want anything of that, they are 100% in on Parise over the summer. Clutterbuck has put up more points than Raymond and only has 1 more year left on his contact as well. Raymond already makes twice as much as Clutterbuck. That makes no sense for the Wild to trade away 2 players making less to take on bigger contracts for less production.

The Wild only have 42.655 commited in salary next year. 3.52 of that is going towards 4 players that aren’t even on the team anymore, such as Mark Parrish. With the cap most likely going up from the 64.3 that is was it this year, that leaves 21.645 million minimum they are going to be able to spend. They have a ton a young talent such as Mikeal Granlund, Jason Zucker, Jonas Brodin, and Charlie Coyle most likely coming here next year making minimum salaries. They are going to be able to land Parise AND a decent defenseman as well. Taking on Raymond and Ballard makes ZERO sense for the Wild.

Also, Raymond isn’t viewed here to kindly. After all he did punch a Wild fan.

Vancouver gets
1. A RH top 4 D
2. Added toughness that can still play for the bottom 6
3. About a million in cap space for other parts at the deadline

Wild get
1. Top 6 forward, which is a big need of theirs
2. Top 4 non-rental D

Vancouver may need to throw in a middling prospect or a draft pick to make it work. Worth mentioning too, Zidlicky’s contract also ends right when Shae Weber could be a UFA.

The style of play of Mike Yeo allows for the d-men to pinch and be aggressive. They aren’t doing so, including Zidlicky. As for the forwards, I would say their lack of production has more to do with Zidlicky’s inability to play the game he is paid to play, leading the charge and QB’ing the power play than the other way around.